Considering that Power Metal is a global phenomena, it’s not surprising there are any number of excellent new bands from around the around producing great music. Heaven Rain is one such band. This quintet from Bosnia have released their second album, the appropriately titled SECOND SUN. The band has been around for a number of years and has released some EP’s and singles but this is the album that may provide them wider recognition.

Second Sun has a very eye-catching cover and a clean, clear production to match the smooth, melodic Power Metal. The band has switched singers since the debut and now has Miona Graorac singing, and she brings quite a unique sound. She has a lot of vibrato in her voice like Doro but comes across as huskier sounding more like Davy Vain. It’s quite a nice departure from a soprano based lead female vocal.

I really enjoyed the acoustic piano that is present in many songs. The songs are slightly progressive but leaning more to a smooth Stratovarius tone and a tempo something akin to later-era a Sonata Arctica. The album is not fast, I would have liked a bit more speed and energy but the melodies are very nice. There are some interesting sounds, like the slightly tribal beats of the intro to the song ‘My Only One’ before the song settles into a keyboard led, mid-to slow paced song with dramatic tension as the song builds. There is a little celtic flourish at the beginning of the song, ‘Raven In Heart’, so it seems the band is quite adept at bring in some different sounds to make for a more interesting and dynamic listening experience.

Ultimately, while very enjoyable, and well-constructed, I’d like to see a bit more firepower, more intensity and perhaps more guitar solos to juxtapose the keyboards which are prominent. SECOND SUN is a solid, if unexceptional album and I’d recommend it to fans of the genre who like to dig deep into the scene for young, upcoming bands.

Track Listing

1. Close to Dawn (intro)
2. Heaven Rain
3. Dreamless
4. My Only One
5. Second Sun
6. Face of Misery
7. Nowhere
8. Raven in Heart
9. When Day Fades to Dark
10. At the End of Time
11. Vejte Snegovi (bonus track)